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The Legend of The Gold of Babylon
Lupin III: is a 1985 Japanese animated film co-directed by Seijun Suzuki and Shigetsugu Yoshida. It is the third feature film based on Monkey Punch's popular Lupin III manga. It was released on subtitled VHS and LaserDisc in North America by AnimEigo in 1994 under the "Rupan III" name, due to copyright concerns with Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin. In 2018, Discotek Media released it on DVD and Blu-ray under its original name with an English dub. Plot Lupin searches for a gigantic hoard of hidden treasure originating in ancient Babylon. With the help of his usual team, a set of stone tablets, and a drunken old woman by the name of Rosetta, Lupin competes against mafiosos Marciano and Kowalski who are also set on finding the lost Babylonian treasure. Complicating matters is Inspector Zenigata, who has been roped into judging the "Miss ICPO Beauty Contest" and must now drag a group of nominees around with him, all eager to prove themselves as agents. Will Lupin get to the treasure before Marciano and Kowalski lay their grubby hands on it? Will the trail of talent following Zenigata interfere with him finally apprehending Lupin?! Production This film is the only Lupin film where he wears the pink jacket from the third TV series. When TMS decided the time was right to make a third Lupin movie, they first chose Mamoru Oshii as director, based on the recommendation from Hayao Miyazaki. During the pre-production stage, however, the company considered Oshii's plan as too avant-garde, and replaced him with Seijun Suzuki and Shigetsugu Yoshida both who were working at Part III at the time. Even though the idea was scrapped, some artwork by Yoshitaka Amano and interviews of the original version were made. Mamaro Oshii's original idea for this movie was for the story to have no protagonist at all. Lupin III wouldn't be seen at all throughout the movie. His other idea involved an architect building the Tower of Babel in the heart of Tokyo and would have committed suicide upon completion. Lupin’s goal would have been to steal a fossil of an angel. The original writer Yoshio Urasawa also left with Atsushi Yamatoya finishing the script. Due to the production change, some of the Part III staff worked on both the movie and were still finishing off the series such as Yuzo Aoki. Cast Japanese *'Lupin III': Yasuo Yamada *'Jigen Daisuke': Kiyoshi Kobayashi *'Mine Fujiko': Eiko Masuyama *'Ishikawa Goemon': Makio Inoue *'Inspector Zenigata': Goro Naya *'Rosetta': Toki Shiozawa *'Marciano': Asaki Kalusel *'Kowalski': Chikao Ootsuka *'Willy': Obon *'Chin': Kobon *'Caramel': Fumi Hirano *'Jinjao': Keiko Han *'Zakskaya': Rihoko Yoshida *'Saranda': Keiko Toda *'Lasagna': Saeko Shimazu *'Additional Voices': Kenichi Ogata, Teiji Oomiya, Hiroshi Fujishiro, Noboru Taguchi, Takuroo Kitagawa, Susumu Otaki, Naoko Kawai Italian *'Arsenio Lupin III': Roberto Del Giudice *'Daisuke Jigen': Sandro Pellegrini *'Fujiko Mine': Alessandra Korompay *'Goemon Ishikawa': Vittorio Guerrieri *'Inspector Zenigata': Enzo Consoli *'Rosetta': Francesca Palopoli English *'Arsène Lupin III': Tony Oliver *'Daisuke Jigen': Richard Epcar *'Fujiko Mine': Michelle Ruff *'Goemon Ishikawa': Lex Lang *'Inspector Zenigata': Doug Erholtz *'Rosetta': Ellyn Stern *'Marciano': Christopher Smith *'Kowalski': Taylor Henry *'Willy': Keith Silverstein *'Chin': Todd Haberkorn *'Caramel': Lauren Landa *'Chinjao': Cindy Robinson *'Zakskaya': Cindy Robinson *'Saranda': Cindy Robinson *'Lasagna': Michelle Ruff *'Additional Voices': Jose Argumedo, Kyle Hebert Releases Info AnimEigo released the film with English subtitles and Japanese dialogue under the title "Rupan III: Legend of the Gold of Babylon" on VHS and LaserDisc in the North America in 1995. In 2005, Discotek Media acquired it for a DVD release, however, it was later cancelled due to North America's declining anime industry. In August 2017, Discotek announced that they would release The Legend of the Gold of Babylon on DVD and Blu-ray. It has a new English dub featuring the same cast from Pioneer Entertainment's dub of the second Lupin anime. It was later announced that a Blu-ray would be released on November 27, 2018, while the DVD version was released on December 18, 2018. Japan *'Laserdisc' (TLL2031, Toho) *'Laserdisc' (TLL2269, Toho) *'VHD' (TVD2031, Toho) *'VHS' (TA4432, Toho) *'DVD' October 24, 2003 (TDV2737D, Toho) *'DVD' (TDV2963A, Toho) Rental USA *'VHS' 1994 Rupan III: Legend of the Gold of Babylon (AnimEgo) with English subtitles *'Laserdisc' 1994 Rupan III: Legend of the Gold of Babylon (AnimEgo) with English subtitles *'DVD' December 18, 2018 (Discotek Media) *'Blu-ray' November 27, 2018 (Discotek Media) Italy *'VHS' (Yamato Video) *'VHS' 1999 (Yamato Video) version *'VHS' 2000 Japan Animation - Lupin III: La leggenda dell'oro di Babilonia (5, DeAGOSTINI/Yamato Video) *'DVD' 2004 Lupin the 3rd: La leggenda dell'oro di Babilonia (Yamato Video) the 3rd handwriting logo *'DVD' 2004 Lupin the 3rd: La leggenda dell'oro di Babilonia (Yamato Video) the 3rd Gold Bar logo *'DVD' 2004 Lupin the 3rd Special DVD Collection L'Oro di Babilonia (1LUP04, DeAGOSTINI/Yamato Video) *'DVD' Lupin the 3rd Movie DVD Collection La Leggenda dell'Oro di Babilonia (DeAGOSTINI/Yamato Video) *'DVD' 2011 Lupin III Film Collection (Uscita 6, Yamato Video) United Kingdom *'VHS' 24th March 1995 (WEST 032, Western Connection) with English subtitles France *'DVD' Edgar de la Cambriole: L'or de Babylone (IDP) *'DVD' Edgar de la Cambriole: Le Complot du Clan Fuma / L'or de Babylone (IDP) Spain *'VHS' El Oro Perdido (RPG) *'DVD' 2007 Lupin III El Oro de Babilonia (Divista) Censorship Italian The Italian version was censored when it was dubbed. While the DVD is uncut, there are segments where it switches between the Italian dub and the Japanese original. *A line that Fujiko says while she is in the swimming pool. Reception Mike Toole of Anime News Network stated that when he first watched The Legend of the Gold of Babylon in the 1990s, he hated it, having only known Lupin as the "smooth, gallant antihero" from The Castle of Cagliostro and The Fuma Conspiracy. Whereas Legend of the Gold of Babylon''s version of Lupin is closer to Monkey Punch's original "rough, drunken, lecherous crook." However, a decade later, he stated that the film "goes down much smoother" having been acquainted with Suzuki's other work, the director being known for his bizarre and oddly-structured films. Paul Jensen, also of Anime News Network, felt that the film's troubled production shows in the final product. He believes that its convoluted plot is a result of all the staff changes, with the drama, comedy and action scenes competing for the audiences' attention rather than complementing each other. Jensen stated that the movie feels like a "few unrelated stories edited together than a single, unified film." Trivia *The only known anime film Seijun Suzuki directed. He also worked as a director in Lupin the Third Part II from episode 55 and wrote an episode in Lupin the Third Part III. Coincidentally, Lupin was partly inspired by his style of filmmaking. *One of the promotional artworks of the movie featuring Lupin and Fujiko had him in his red jacket rather than the pink jacket. *Discotek was originally going to release this movie on DVD in the U.S. after ''The Plot of the Fuma Clan was released. But it resulted that purchasing the rights to the movie was more expensive than the other two Lupin movies they obtained previously. The reason why is because international media rights to Seijun Suzuki's films have gotten more expensive. So Discotek has decided to wait for whenever the price becomes cheaper. *When a paparazzi asked Lupin if he hated any food, Lupin says it's Tako (Octopus). This was derived from The Man They Called a Magician when Lupin couldn't stand octopus meat. *This was the last Lupin III theatrical movie to feature Yasuo Yamada as the voice of Lupin III. Category:Films